PART I
TECHNICAL AND REVIEW PAPERS (Contd.)

SPORT FISHING ON LAKE IJSSEL

C. J. van Ginkel

Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Directorate of Fisheries, P.O. Box 20401, Bezuidenhoutseweg 73, 2500 EK, The Hague, The Netherlands

ABSTRACT

In 1975 and 1976 the Fisheries Directorate counted the number of sport fishermen on and along Lake IJssel, at the request of the Guiding Committee for the Management of the Lake IJssel Fisheries, which had given positive advice on an extension of the number of permits for two common or one special fishing rod from 4 000 in 1975 to approx. 500 000 in 1976. The reason for the inventory was to determine the impact of the above mentioned extension on the number of sport fishermen on this lake. Following the counts a catch inquiry was held among sport fishermen in the summer of 1977. The estimated total catches of the sport fishermen were compared with those of the commercial fishermen. The counts showed no significant differences between the numbers of sport fishermen in 1975 and 1976. It was estimated that in 1976, 54 200 bank fishermen and 10 200 boat fishermen visited Lake IJssel. The catch inquiry showed that bank fishermen fish mainly for roach and bream, and boat fishermen for perch. The bank fishermen caught an average of 17 roach a day. The boat fishermen in the northern part of Lake IJssel caught an average of 32 perch a day. For the fish species perch, pike perch and eel the approximate quantity caught annually by sport fishermen is given. As to pike perch and eel the catches of sport fishermen proved to be small in comparison with the landings of commercial fishermen (2 and 0% resp.). For perch the share of the catch going to sport fishermen was approximately 9%.

RÉSUMÉ

En 1975 et 1976, la Direction des pêches a recensé le nombre de pêcheurs sportifs sur le Lac IJssel et sur ses rives, à la demande du Comité d'orientation pour l'aménagement de la pêche dans le Lac IJssel, qui avait préconisé de porter le nombre de permis délivrés pour deux lignes “ordinaires” ou une ligne “spéciale” de 4 000 en 1975 à environ 500 000 en 1976. L'objet du recensement était d'étudier dans quelle mesure une telle augmentation influerait sur le nombre des pêcheurs sportif dans ce lac. À la suite du recensement, une enquête sur les captures a été menée auprès des pêcheurs pendant l'été de 1977. L'estimation des captures totales de la pêche sportive a été comparée avec celle de la pêche commerciale. Aucune différence significative du nombre de pêcheurs sportifs n'apparaît entre 1975 et 1976. Il a été estimé qu'en 1976 le Lac IJssel a accueilli 54 200 pêcheurs sur ses berges et 10 200 sur des bateaux. L'enquête sur les captures a indiqué qu'à partir des rives on pêche principalement le gardon et la brème, et à partir d'embarcations, la perche. Les pêcheurs à terre ont capturé en moyenne 17 gardons par jour. A partir des embarcations, la moyenne des captures journalière dans la partie nord du Lac IJssel a été de 32 perches. L'auteur indique la quantité apporoximative de perches, de perches-brochets et d'anguilles, capturée annuellement par la pêche sportive. Pour les sandres et les anguilles, la part de la pêche sportive n'est que de 2 et 0% respectivement des captures. En ce qui concerne les perches, la proportion semble être de l'ordre de 9%.

INTRODUCTION

In 1975 the Guiding Committee for the Management of the Lake IJssel Fisheries was consulted regarding an extension of the maximum number of 4 000 permits for 2 common or 1 special fishing rod¹ to around 500 000 permits.

Fishing with one common rod is free. The committee gave positive approval on this proposal. However, according to the committee it was desirable that the Fisheries Directorate should examine whether this extension should lead to an increase in sport fishing. Therefore the number of sport fishermen was counted in 1975 and 1976, i.e. before and after the increase in the number of permits. In 1977 catch inquiries were conducted among sport fishermen to form an impression of their catches. With the help of the results of the counts and the catch inquiries an estimate has been made of the annual catch by sport fishermen.

¹ A “common rod” is a rod baited with natural bait or flies, but not with fish. A “special rod” is a rod baited with artificial bait or fish but not with flies.

Table 1. Dates that fishermen were counted on Lake IJssel in 1975 and 1976.

INVENTORY OF SPORT FISHERMEN IN 1975 AND 1976

Method

Airplanes were used to count the number of fishermen. Since most sport fishermen are at the water's edge at around 9 AM it was decided to hold the counts between around 7 and 10 AM. Whenever a count could not proceed due to bad weather conditions it was postponed for 1 week. Particularly in September this happened several times on account of fog. In the counts a distinction was made between boat fishermen and bank fishermen. Table 1 gives the counting dates for 1975 and 1976. The counts could not always be held on corresponding days because of unfavorable weather conditions and because 1975 counts did not start until August.

Results

To be able to compare the number of sport fishermen in 1975 and 1976 the following 10 counting dates were selected:

1. 2 August 1975 and 7 August 1976
2. 5 August 1975 and 11 August 1976
3. 23 August 1975 and 28 August 1976
4. 4 October 1975 and 9 October 1976
5. 22 November 1975 and 20 November 1976.

These days were similar in season and weather conditions.

Table 2 gives the results of counts on the above mentioned 10 dates. The average number of bank fishermen in 1975 was 467, whereas in 1976 an average of 442 bank fishermen was counted over the 5 counting days. The difference between the two numbers has no statistical significance. According to these results the extension of the number of permits in 1976 has not led to a change in the numbers of bank fishermen compared with 1975.

Boat fishing appears to be concentrated in the neighborhood of Muiderbergbrug, and near Medemblik. Table 3 includes the numbers of boats and boat fishermen counted and the average crew size. No distinction between areas has been made on account of the small numbers.

The average number of boat fishermen on these days was 52 and 40 in 1975 and 1976 respectively. As in the case of the bank fishermen the difference between the 2 years proves not to be significant, and does not show any clear increase or decrease. The average crew size shows no significant differences. It corresponds more or less with the numbers found for the Biesbosch and the Grevelingen (Steinmetz et al. 1973a, 1976).

Table 2. Total number of bank fishermen counted on Lake IJssel by date and stretch of shoreline.

Table 3. Numbers of boat fishermen and boats and the average crew on the Lake IJssel for 5 sets of comparable dates in 1975 and 1976.

Estimation of the Annual Number of Visits in 1976

With the help of the 1976 results (Saturdays) the total number of visits to Lake IJssel has been estimated. The following Figs. 1 and 2 present these data and indicate the estimated course of the numbers of bank and boat fishermen respectively on Saturdays. With the help of these graphs the number of visitors on the other Saturdays in the period from June through October has been estimated.

The number of visitors to Lake IJssel estimated over those 22 Saturdays was 10 500 for bank fishermen and 1 250 for boat fishermen. To compute the annual number of visits on the basis of these numbers we started from the following assumptions taken from research on waters where the pattern of visits of sport fishermen is probably similar to the pattern on Lake IJssel:

• the ratio between the number of visitors on Saturdays and Sundays is 35:30 (Steinmetz 1973b);

• the ratio between the number of visitors on the sum total of working days and on the sum total of weekend days is 1:1 (Steinmetz et al. 1978);

• the ratio between the number of visitors in the period from June through October and the rest of the year is 9:1 (Steinmetz et al. 1978);

• the data on times of arrival and departure, collected together with the catch inquiry show that at the moment of counting (9 AM) an average of 80% of the bank fishermen and 50% of the boat fishermen fishing on that day are present.

To convert this so called moment number of visitors (80% and 50%) into the day number a correction factor of 1,25 should be applied for the bank fishery and 2 for the boat fishery. Starting from the estimated number of bank and boat fishermen on the 22 Saturdays in the period from June through October and taking into account the above mentioned assumptions the annual number of visitors can be estimated at approximately 52 400 bank fishermen and 10 400 boat fishermen. These numbers can be used to estimate the total catches by sport fishermen in a year.

THE CATCH-INQUIRY

Execution and Processing of the Inquiry

Considering the findings in the air-counts it was decided to hold the inquiries on Saturdays. The area Muiderbergbrug—Amsterdam was left out of the inquiry on account of the small number of sport fishermen.

Fig. 1. Bank fishermen on Lake IJssel in the period June-November 1976.

Fig. 2. Boat fishermen on Lake IJssel in the period June-November 1976.

Boat fishermen were interviewed only in the area between Enkhuizen and den Oever because elsewhere it was impracticable. Altogether 937 questionnaires were handed out on 9 days in the period from July through September. A week after each of these days a reminder was sent to those who had not yet sent in the form. In the end 770 forms were sent back, an 82% response. The questions did not differentiate between bream and white bream, since it was not expected that these would be correctly distinguished. Chub and orfe were also combined, since many fishermen call chub orfe. Apart from that chub is very rarely found in Lake IJssel. After the questionnaires had been checked for mistakes, the data were transferred to punchcards and processed by computer.

Results

In addition to questions about catches, the questionnaires contained questions regarding fishing behavior, e.g., the times of arrival and departure, the use of rods and the frequency of fishing. Some of these aspects are relevant to the consideration of the catches.

Times of Arrival and Departure

Other research on large waters has shown that a fishing day often has the characteristics of a day's excursion. Sport fishermen appear at the water's edge quite early and stay there longer than is generally the case when the water is situated at a short distance from their homes. The inquiry data show that this applies to Lake IJssel.

Generally the bank fishermen come quite early: 80% arrive before 9 AM. The boat fishermen arrive somewhat later; only 50% of them arrive before 9 AM. These percentages have been used in determining the correction factor for the assessment of the annual number of visitors. The maximum number of visitors at any one moment, the number of visitors at the busiest moment of the day, is between 9 AM and 11 AM for the bank fishermen (90%) and between 11 AM and 1 PM for the boat fishermen (100%). In the Biesbosch and on the Grevelingen the same observation was made. Bank fishermen leave earlier than boat fishermen. The first group starts to leave between 11 AM and 1 PM and at 3 PM 80% of the bank fishermen have left. At around 3 PM the first of the boat fishermen leave. At 5 PM 80% of them have left.

Duration of Stay

From the time of arrival and departure one can calculate how long the fishermen stay. On average bank fishermen stayed at the water's edge for 6,5 hours; the boat fishermen stayed longer, i.e., an average of 7,5 hours. These figures scarcely diverge from the figures found at Biesbosch and on the Grevelingen.

Type of Rod

The bank fishermen fished mainly with one roach pole (an average of 64%), which is not amazing when one knows that on Lake IJssel they fish mainly for whiting. Besides, 31% of the bank fishermen use a combination of one roach pole and one casting rod, or a single casting rod. The boat fishermen have another pattern of rod use. Out of the 41 that were interviewed, 38 used one casting rod.

Table 4. Species of fish fished for by bank fishermen.

Frequency of Fishing on Lake IJssel and Other Waters in 1976

To gain an impression of the significance of Lake IJssel for visiting sport fishermen, they were asked how often they fished on Lake IJssel and how often in other water. The results show that in 1976, on average, the bank fishermen fished 10 times on Lake IJssel and the boat fishermen 20 times. In addition both bank and boat fishermen fished some 30 times in other waters. Addition of the two frequencies results in a total frequency of fishing of 40 times for the bank fishermen and 50 times for the boat fishermen. The national inquiry by the I.T.S. into sport fisheries (Prinssen and Kropman 1975) shows that 70% of the fishing visits are paid to the most frequently visited water. In view of the visiting sport fishermen's frequency of fishing on Lake IJssel (bank fishermen 25% and boat fishermen 40%) we may conclude that this lake is particularly important for sport fishermen, who usually fish in other waters, probably closer to their homes.

The Species of Fish Sought

In answer to the question as to which species of fish were sought, 3 species of fish in the order of their significance could be designated. In some cases a group of fish species was listed instead of one species, e.g., whiting, which is usually taken to mean roach, bream and/or white bream. Table 4 shows that in the first instance half of the bank fishermen fished for roach, while besides 12% tried to catch bream and white bream and 14% whiting. The second category of fish species fished for was bream and white bream (48%), while roach was also important (21%).

Table 5. Average daily catch per bank fishermen.

The boat fishermen showed a wholly different fishing pattern: 40 out of the 41 fishermen from the northern part who were interviewed fished for perch. These numbers pont to a very specific fishing pattern in this part of Lake IJssel. Although no specific data are available on boat fishing in the southern part, inquiries showed that fishing in this area is particularly for pike perch.

The Catches

Table 5 shows the bank fishermen's average daily catches over the period from July through September. Roach appears to occupy a dominant position in the daily catches of bank fishermen, which is not to be wondered at in view of the data on the species sought. The biggest catches of roach were made in areas 2, 3 and 5, where on average 4 roach were caught per hour. After roach, perch was caught most (3,5 a day). The best perch catches were made in area 2, where an average of 2 perch were caught per hour. Pike perch was only caught in area 6, although the numbers were very small.

The catches of the boat fishermen prove to be composed quite differently. They are limited to only 3 fish species, i.e., perch, roach and eel. The average catch in area 2, where the inquiry was held, totalled 32 perch, 1 roach and 2,5 eel per fishing day of 7,5 hours. Among the boat fishermen 60% of the perch, all the roach and 80% of the eel were oversized.

Of the southern part of Lake IJssel, below the line Enkhuizen-Ketelbrug, it is known that boat fishermen fish more for pike perch and significantly less for perch. Exact figures have, however, not been obtained. Because the average daily catch of boat fishermen from the southern part is required to calculate the annual catch for the whole of Lake IJssel, we have assumed an average daily catch for the southern part of 3 fully grown pike perch (the daily limit) and 3 undersized pike perch, 3,5 perch (the average daily catch per bank fishermen), 2,5 eel and one roach (the daily catch per boat fishermen in the northern part).

Table 6. Estimated annual catches at Lake IJssel.

ESTIMATE OF THE ANNUAL CATCH AND WITHDRAWAL OF FISH BY SPORT FISHERMEN

Here, an estimate is made of the annual catch (in numbers) and the annual withdrawal (in kg) of fish by sport fishermen. The assumption is the both the estimated number of fishing visits in 1976 and the catches in 1977 are representative for an average year.

Table 6 lists the estimated annual catches for the various fish species. No distinction has been made between fully grown and under-sized fish. These numbers have been obtained by multiplying the number of fishing visits by the average daily catch for the various species of fish. In the case of boat fishermen the visits in the northern and southern part have been viewed separately.

The results of the 1975 and 1976 countings show that on average the boat fishermen are distributed equally over the northern and southern part of Lake IJssel (imaginary line Enkhuizen-Ketelbrug). In the calculation of the annual catch an annual number of 5 200 visits by boat fishermen has been assumed for both the northern and southern part of Lake IJssel.

Table 7. Withdrawals in kg of fully grown eel, perch and pike perch from Lake IJssel by sport fishermen and commercial fishermen in 1977.

For the calculation of the annual withdrawal by sport fishermen only the fish species eel, pike and perch will be considered since only these fish species are of importance to both sport fishermen and commercial fishermen.

Since the inquiry did not ask about the number of fish taken away and therefore no data are available on this hand, we shall, in our estimation of the annual withdrawal of these fish species by sport fishermen assume that all fully grown pike perch, perch and eel were not put back, since sport fishermen are sure to recognize the consumptive value of these species of fish. Hereby the estimation of withdrawals may be higher than the actual figure. With regard to the fish species concerned, Table 7 states how much was withdrawn from Lake IJssel by sport fishermen on the one hand and by commercial fishermen on the other (data 1977 auction statistics, Fisheries Directorate 1978). In our estimates for sport fishermen we started from fully grown fish of the following average weights: eel, 50 g; perch, 300 g; pike perch, 800 g.

The estimate of the percentage of the total landings caught by sport fishermen will in reality be smaller because part of the landings of commercial fishermen are supplied directly to the trade, and therefore not recorded in the auction statistics. On the basis of these indications we may conclude for eel and pike perch that sport fishing will have little or no influence on commercial landings. The perch catches by sport fishermen (9% of the total landings) may have some influence on the commercial landings of this fish species, but we should mention that only 9% of the total commercial landings for the fish, according to the auction statistics, is of perch.

LITERATURE CITED

Directie van de Visserijen (Directorate of Fisheries). 1978 Jaarverslag 1977 (Annual report 1977) Visserij, 31(6).

Prinssen, J.C.C., and J.A. Kropman. 1975 De Nederlandse sportvisser (The Dutch angler, survey on characteristics behaviour and wishes of sport fishermen.) Institute for Applied Sociology, Nijmegen.

Steinmetz, B. 1973a Een oriënterend onderzoek naar de mogelijkheden voor de sportvisserij in het Grevelingen bekken. (An orientation to the sport fishing possibilities in the Grevelingen Lake.) Visserij, 26(8):461–514.

Steinmetz, B. 1973b De sportvisserij in het polder-en plassengebied “Nieuwkoop-Noorden” (Angling in the “Nieuwkoop-Noorden” polders and ponds area.) Visserij, 26(2):81–88.

Steinmetz, B., and J.G. Bakker. 1976 De betekenis van de Biesbosch voor de sportvisserij. (The value of the Biesbosch for sport fishermen.) Documentation report No. 18. Directie van de Visserijen (Directorate of Fisheries) 's-Gravenhage.

Steinmetz, B., and C.J. van Ginkel. 1978 Foreluitzettingen in het Veerse Meer najaar 1977. (Trout-stockings at Lake Veere autumn 1977.) Visserij, 31 (3):219–226.

Steinmetz B., C.J. van Ginkel and A.F. Feith. 1978 Enige resultaten van de enquête sportvissers die in 1976 en 1977 het graskarperobject in de polder Achttienhoven bezochten. (Some results of the survey among sport fishermen, who visited the grascarpproject polder Achttienhoven in 1976 and 1977.) Visserij, 31 (5):332–343.

SUMMARY OF THE PROVINCIAL ANALYSES OF THE DEMAND FOR AND THE SUPPLY OF FACILITIES FOR SPORT FISHING

L. M. van Haasteren and A. T. de Groot

Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Fisheries Directorate, The Hague, The Netherlands

ABSTRACT

In the Netherlands an overall inventory was made of the available inland waters of more than 0,5 ha and 6 m or more broad. Attention was paid to jurisdictional limitations—fishing rights and rights to use the banks—and to more technical ones concerning, depth, water quality, plant growth, multiple use and lack of boat facilities. At the same time, an estimate of the demand for fishing possibilities was made for each of circa 900 municipalities. These estimates are made in conformity with a scheme in which the number of licences issued—with adjustments for young people below 15 years old and anglers who fish illegally (circa 400 000 in the Netherlands)—plays a major role. Finally a confrontation between supply and demand is made and evaluated within the restrictions of the criteria mentioned above.

RÉSUMÉ

Les Pays-Bas ont dressé un inventaire complet des eaux intérieures ayant au moins une superficie de 0,5 ha et une largeur de 6 m. On s'est intéressé aux limites juridictionnelles—droits de pêche et droit d'utiliser les rives—et aux aspects plus techniques tels que la profondeur, la qualité de l'eau, la flore, les utilisations multiples et l'absence d'installations pour les bateaux. Parallèlement, on a évalué la demande de pêche pour chacune des quelque 900 municipalités. Ces estimations sont établies d'après un plan dans lequel le nombre de permis accordés—avec des ajustements pour les jeunes gens de moins de 15 ans et les pêcheurs à la ligne qui pêchent sans permis (400 000 environ aux Pays-Bas)—joue un rôle important. L'offre et la demande ont enfin été comparées et évaluées compte tenu des limites découlant des critères ci-dessus.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

In 1978 the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries drew up an analysis of the demand for and supply of fishing facilities for all of the 11 provinces, taking as its starting point the data collected for each municipality. The analysis concerns on the one hand the number of fishing licences issued, complemented by data on local recreation, and on the other hand the surface area and shore length of the available surface water and its fishability in a legal and technical sense. The analysis primarily considers whether there are sufficient facilities for sport fishing in the inland waterways within the place of residence. Thus a general insight has been gained about where sport fishing resources are adequate or in short supply. Separate parts deal with sport fishing from a boat and at sea and in coastal waters.

The results should be treated with the necessary caution, since:

• the attractiveness of the fishing water and the possibilities for catching fish, which to a large extent determine the value of the water as a sport fishery, have not been involved in the analysis;

• the point of departure was the current demand for fishing water;

• the future development of the sport fishery has not been taken into account;

• the analysis deals in particular with shore fishing, while sport fishing from a boat and at sea and in coastal waters has been dealt with only indirectly;

• the situation of the fishing water within a municipality in relation to the residential center(s) has not been dealt with; especially for the less mobile sport fishermen: young people, the disabled, old people, and those who fish in the evenings. The availability of fishing water in close proximity to the place of residence is of vital importance. However, with these data a foundation has been laid for the formulation of policies and to determine in which direction further inquiry is required.

The provincial analyses of the supply and demand further point to existing deficiencies and indicate how the facilities for sport fishing can be expanded. In April 1979 the provincial informative notes on sport fishing were offered to the provincial executives in the 11 provinces with the request to use them in formulating the provincial policies on open-air recreation. In this note the provincial informative notes have been summarized.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

Sport fishing is a form of open-air recreation practised by all levels and age-groups of the population at relatively low cost. Sport fishing has many forms depending upon personal disposition, fish species and type of water. On the basis of Central Bureau of Statistics research (1975) it is estimated that approximately 2 million (15%) of the Dutch population go fishing one or more times a year. Sport fishing can therefore be considered a very important form of open-air recreation, which deserves serious attention in town and country planning.

The demand for sport fishing facilities has been computed with the help of the number of fishing licences issued. In the Netherlands more than 955000 fishing licences (6,9% of the total population) were issued in the 1976/1977 season. On the basis of the annual increase in the number of fishing licences, particularly in the dry areas where new facilities for fishing became available, it may be assumed that participation in sport fishing will continue to increase in the coming years. Thus, the number of fishing licences issued in 1977/1978 totalled 982 000 and in 1978/1979 (provisional figure) 1 008 000. In the provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe a relatively large number of fishing documents are issued (more than 11% of the population); in the provinces of Zeeland and Limburg a relatively small number: 3,9% and 3,6% of the population respectively (Fig. 1).

On the standard day (we chose the tenth busiest day for this) an estimated 110 000 fishermen (the nearest round figure) fished simultaneously. This indicates the required number of fishing places.

The supply of facilities for sport fishing was determined by means of a survey of the Dutch surface waters, which included an examination of where fishing is possible and where it is at present impossible due to restrictions, such as fishing right, right of entry, lack of accessibility, unfishable slope and unsuitable depth, too much overgrowth, poor water quality and utilization by other interested parties. In our country almost 11 000 km of the total shore length (approximately 35 500 km) is available for sport fishing. The provinces of North and South Holland and Overijssel (including Flevoland) possess the largest fishable shorelength, while the provinces of Groningen, Zeeland and Limburg have only a limited amount. Of the total shore length in the Netherlands two thirds is not fishable due to the presence of one or more restrictions. Viewed quantitatively the lack of adequate access (the inability to get to the water) constitutes the most widely occurring restriction; 45% of the total shore length has not been made adequately accessible for sport fishing.

Not being allowed to go to the water or on to the shore (right of entry) and not being allowed to fish in the water (fishing right) are restrictions that also occur often. Of the total shore length 39% cannot be used for sport fishing because there is no right of entry and 21% cannot be used because there are no fishing rights. Two or more restrictions often occur in combination.

Assuming a distance of 25 m between sport fishermen, there is, technically speaking, enough space in our country for 434 000 fishermen to practise shore fishing simultaneously.

The analysis of supply and demand accordingly shows that nationally there is sufficient shore length available for sport fishing for every shore fishermen to have a place on the standard day. This also appears to be the case in each province.

To what extent these fishing places are attractive to fishermen as regards fish stocks, chances of catching fish, situation, etc., should be considered more closely when using and consulting the provincial Informative Notes. The expectation is that an inquiry into the attractiveness of the fishing water in certain regions of our country will reveal shortages, however. Furthermore, it is important that the existence of attractive waters which are not fishable due to restrictions be brought to the attention of the various government bodies.

The provincial analyses show that 167 municipalities have insufficient fishing places at their disposal to satisfy the demand from their own municipality (Fig. 2). These municipalities are situated mainly in the provinces of North Brabant (40) and Limburg (44). The shortages concern:

• a number of large cities (Amsterdam, Arnhem, Breda, The Hague, Groningen, Leeuwarden, Nijmegen).

• Eastern Overijssel.

• The Veluwe.

• the Friesland and Utrecht lake districts (there is a lot of water here, but scarcely any fishable shore);

• the coastal areas.

• the sandy areas in North Brabant and Northern and Middle Limburg;

• Southern Limburg (notably the Eastern Mining District and the Rur-area).

Fig. 1. Map of the Netherlands showing percentages of fishing documents issued in the 1976/1977 season.

A number of inhabitants of the municipalities with shortages will have to go to other municipalities to be able to fish from the shore. The distances that will have to be covered for this purpose vary between 5 and 35 km (as the crow flies).

Boat fishing on inland waterways occurs on lakes, rivers and canals and in a number of polder waters. Only a small number of freely accessible trailer ramps are known to exist. The number of specific fishing boat harbors in our country is not large either. In several places, particularly in the provinces of Friesland, Utrecht and North and South Holland, rowing/fishing boats can be hired. There is a need for more trailer ramps and small, simple fishing boat harbors as well as for fitting boat fishing into the policies for water recreation as a whole.

Fig. 2. Municipalities (dotted areas) with a quantitative shortage of fishing places in the Netherlands. The Informative Notes do not provide insight into the attractiveness of the fishing water and the fish stocks, so that qualitative shortages of fishing water have not been plotted.

About 340 km of shore (including piers, moles, etc.) have been made accessible for sport fishing on the sea and in coastal waters. In all, there are more than 1 180 km of shore. It is not known to what extent the accessible parts of the coast are attractive for sport fishing in respect to depth, etc., and the presence of fish. Moreover the latter depends to a great extent on the season.

The annual capacity of hired vessels stationed in the Netherlands which go out to the sea and coastal waters is more than 4 000 persons on about 165 vessels (on fishable days). Boat fishing at sea and in coastal waters with privately owned boats is restricted because there are insufficient usable trailer ramps and mooring facilities for sport fishing boats.

THE DEMAND FOR FISHING WATER

The Current Demand

Per municipality it is known how many fishing licences have been issued in any one season. On the basis of a calculation model (van Alderwegen 1978), the number of sport fishermen per municipality can be estimated, as well as the number of sport fishermen fishing simultaneously at the busiest moment of the standard day (the 10th busiest day). In the following this is called “number of sport fishermen fishing on the standard day.” Table 1 specifies per province how many fishing licences were issued in the 1976/77 season and what percentage of the population this amounted to on 1 January 1977. In the table the results of the calculations have been specified per province. Finally corrections for fishing by local recreationists have been included in the last column of this table but one.

Table 1. Total number of sport fishermen and the number of sport fishermen fishing on the standard day per province.

^a Angling certificates and small fishing licences.
^b Including those fishing without licences and young people (2,2 × the number of documents).
^c 9,7% of the number of documents.

A wholly satisfactory explanation of the differences in issuing percentages between the provinces cannot be given at this moment. However, it may be assumed that the supply of relatively attractive fishing water and adequate fish stocks affects the percentage of fishing documents issued. Accordingly in the provinces of Zeeland (much marine fishing) and Limburg with little fresh water the percentage of fishing documents issued is relatively low. Moreover, differences in the percentage of issued documents between the provinces can stem from the degree to which fishing without a licence occurs. Within the separate provinces there are marked differences in the percentage of fishing documents issued per municipality.

The Development of the Demand in the Future

It should be realised that the data mentioned in the Informative Notes refer to the 1976/1977 fishing season. It is evident from the provisional figures over the 1977/1978 season that the number of fishing documents issued has meanwhile increased to approximately 982 000 (7,1% of the whole population). The number of fishing documents issued has increased rapidly over the past years. Table 2 reflects this trend. From this it may be concluded that, taking into account the growth of the population, sport fishing has enjoyed increasing popularity in the last few years. On the basis of the increase in the number of fishing documents issued as represented in Table 2 it is not possible to predict what dimensions sport fishing will assume in the future. In view of the fact that in countries such as Norway and Sweden the percentage of participation in sport fishing is double that of the Netherlands, it seems reasonable to assume that the saturation point has not been reached and that the increase will continue for the time being.

Table 2. Number of small fishing licences and angling certificates.

In those areas of our country that have little fishing water a relatively greater increase in participation in sport fishing may be expected if the supply of good fishing water is enlarged. This assumption can be illustrated by the following table, taken from the Limburg Informative Note (Table 3) which includes a number of Limburg municipalities within which new facilities have recently been created for sport fishing. The table reflects the development of the number of fishing documents issued in the municipalities concerned over a number of years, both in the absolute and in the percentage of the total population; the index figures have been included in addition to the absolute figures (1969/1970 = 100).

With some caution it may be stated that in the areas with little fishing water, and particularly in those municipalities where good quality fishing water is created, the number of fishermen will in the future show a greater relative increase than in the Netherlands as a whole.

THE SUPPLY OF FISHING WATER

Survey of Surface Water

The supply of fishing water in the Netherlands was determined by means of a survey, carried out in 1977/1978, of all surface waters larger than 0,5 ha and wider than 6 m. Table 4 presents the collected data.

Surface waters and fishable shore length are unevenly distributed within the provinces, notably in the provinces of Overijssel, Gelderland, North Brabant and Limburg. In the eastern part of these provinces, as well as in the south of North Brabant, Limburg and on the Veluwe, there is practically no fishing water whatsoever. It has also been shown that, for example, in the Friesland lake district, and the area of the Vinkeveen and Loosdrecht lakes there is little fishable shore length available, in spite of the large area of surface water.

The following section specifies how many km of shore length are not usable for shore fishing due to a restriction or combination of restrictions.

Table 3. Trend in the development of the number of fishing documents issued in a number of municipalities where new fishing facilities recently became available.

Table 4. Water surface and shore length per province.

Restricting Factors for Sport Fisheries

The survey has also provided data regarding the nature of the factors restricting fishing. Table 5 shows to what extent the restrictions occur, and also whether a certain restriction occurs by itself or in combination with one or more other restrictions.

Two-thirds of the total existing shore-length proves to be unfishable due to the occurrence of one or more restrictions. Viewed quantitatively the lack of adequate accessibility (not being able to get to the water) constitutes the most widely occurring restriction; 45% of the total shore is not adequately accessible for sport fishing.

Not being allowed to go to the water and/or on to the shore (right of entry), and not being allowed to fish in the water (fishing right), are also widely occurring restrictions due to which 39% and 21% respectively of the total shore length are not usable for sport fishing. Viewed in a national perspective the other restriction factors play a less important part. Locally these factors can, however, be very influential; 37% of the restricted shore length is made unfishable by one restriction, the remaining 63% by a combination of two or more restrictions.

CONFRONTATION OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND

In the following the demand for and the supply of fishing water are compared in totals per province. The demand for fishing water was taken from Table 1 after an adjustment had been made for fishing by residential recreationists. The supply of fishing water can be seen in Table 4. The number of km of available shore has been converted to the number of available fishing places on the shore. Conversion takes place by means of a chosen standard of 25 m of shore per fisherman.

In Table 6 below the number of fishing places per province required on the standard day has been placed side by side with the supply of fishing places. In most provinces there are municipalities with an abundant supply of fishing places in relation to the demand, as well as municipalities with a shortage of fishing places. Table 6 states the balance of space and shortages per province. The last column specifies the space for the province as a whole. Table 6 shows that the Netherlands as a whole posesses an abundant supply of fishing water. The number of available fishing places on the shore is several times the demand. However, the attractiveness of the fishing water has not been considered in the inquiry. The only legitimate conclusion is that there are sufficient fishing places on shores in the Netherlands for the present number of fishermen. That also holds true when the provinces are considered separately.

However, since in the provinces with little water (Limburg in particular) as in those with an abundance of water the starting point has equally been the number of fishing documents issued (which depends partly on the available amount of fishing water) the picture drawn of the provinces with little water is too favorable. The conclusion that, in a technical sense, there is enough fishable shore for each province to satisfy the demand, does not hold true for each separate municipality.

Table 5. Significance of the surveyed restrictions.

Table 6. Confrontation of supply and demand.

^a This includes a correction for the fishing documents bought by Belgian sport fishermen in border-municipalities in Brabant. In actual fact, the number of fishermen fishing on the standard day should be increased by 1 690 for the whole of the Netherlands.

Table 7. Number of municipalities per province with insufficient fishable shore.

Table 7 states the number of municipalities within which the number of available fishing places on the shore is too small to satisfy the demand within the municipality itself. It specifies the total number of required and available fishing places, as well as the discrepancies between supply and demand. However, boat fishing is not a fully satisfactory alternative to shore fishing, because not every sports fisherman can or wants to fish from a fishing boat.

Some or all of the inhabitants of municipalities with shortages will have to go to other municipalities to be able to fish from the shore. They will spend quite a lot of time on travelling relatively long distances; the Provincial Notes show that distances of between 5 and 35 km (as the crow flies) must be covered. It should, moreover, be realised that fishing waters are not evenly distributed within the municipalities and that within the provinces there are barriers such as roads and waterways which may lengthen the time spent in travelling.

In 39 municipalities, situated mainly in North Brabant (12) and Limburg (20) the shortages are caused by the total lack of surface waters larger than ½ hectare and wider than 6 metres. In the remaining municipalities (128) most of the existing shortages (113) could—theoretically—be made up by removing the restricting factors; the total shore length per municipality is sufficient for this. Considering the situation with regard to private property (e.g., industrial wharves, etc.) it will in many cases be impossible to remove the restrictions. Shortages will continue in some 15 municipalities, even after all restrictions are removed; 10 of these municipalities lie in the provinces of North Brabant and Limburg.

It has become evident that the removal of one restriction has little effect; in practically all cases several restrictions occur together.

BOAT FISHING IN INLAND WATERWAYS

The provincial notes do not contain estimates of the specific demand for facilities for boat fishing. The starting point is the total demand for facilities for fishing in inland waterways, determined with the help of the calculating method. Where there is no suitable water for boat fishing, it is assumed that all sport fishermen fish from the shore. If, on the other hand, a municipality does possess suitable fishing water for boat fishing, it is assumed that this can reduce the number of fishermen fishing from the shore. However, it is unlikely that large shortages of fishable shore length can thus easily be replaced by abundant facilities for boat fishing. This does not imply that boat fishing is unimportant. Inquiries have shown that approximately 10% of all sport fishermen usually or exclusively practise boat fishing. Further inquiry in this field is accordingly advisable.

In order to gain a greater insight into the need for facilities for boat fishing the Fisheries Directorate held a boat inquiry in the period from 1977 to 1978. For unknown reasons only 1 000 questionnaires were returned, 350 of which related to boat fishing in inland waterways (650 to boat fishing at sea or in coastal waters). Some 200 people expressed the need for berths for their fishing boats, about 130 required trailer-ramps and 20 felt the need for opportunities to hire fishing boats. Almost all these facilities were required in the provinces of North and South Holland.

Boat fishing occurs mainly on lakes and pools, on canals and rivers and in some polders. In a number of provinces there has been an inquiry into the number of berths for fishing boats and the number of public trailer ramps. This inquiry is based mainly on the local knowledge of the Fisheries Official and the angling organizations, i.e., an actual survey has not been made. In this connection fishing boats were taken to mean boats used almost exclusively for sport fishing. Speedboats, cruisers or sailing boats also used for fishing are not regarded as fishing boats, even though it is a well-known fact that a lot of fishing is done from these vessels, in particular from cruisers. The number of fishing boats appears to vary between a few hundred and few thousand per province. Most of the fishing boats have been found in the provinces of Utrecht and North and South Holland. There are very few trailer ramps in the Netherlands. Inquiries in the Biesbosch and on the Gravelines have shown that the average crew of a fishing boat consists of 2 persons. The number of boat fishermen fishing in any one water is thus double the number of fishing boats that can be used on the water. The latter number is limited by the surface area of the water in question. Moreover, especially in the peak season, the water is used by other aquatic recreationists too. This circumstance limits the boat fishermen's opportunities, because fishermen prefer peace and quite on the water. In order to safeguard and/or promote the interests of the boat fishermen the creation of zones—in space and time—should be considered. The waters that are principally suited for boat fishing are commonly of more than regional importance, implying that sport fishermen from municipalities situated at greater distances also come to those waters to fish from a fishing boat.

If attractive fish stocks are found, such waters can become tourist attractions. It seems possible to open up a number of unused waters to boat fishermen by constructing simple trailer-ramps and/or small fishing boat harbors. As a result of such action boat fishermen might have to do less travelling and boat fishing might be spread more evenly.

SPORT FISHING AT SEA AND IN COASTAL WATERS

Sport fishing at sea and in coastal waters in the Netherlands can be practised in the North Sea and the Wadden Sea, as well as in the Eastern Scheldt and the Western Scheldt. Just as in inland fishing a distinction can be made between fishing from the shore (dike, beach) and from a boat. Boat fishing can be further divided into fishing from hired vessels and from private fishing boats. Depending on the time of year, fishing is concentrated in the place where certain species of fish are easy to catch.

It is not possible to determine the demand with regard to this form of sport fishing. (It was likewise impossible to do this for boat fishing in inland waterways.) At the moment insufficient data are available. However, marine fishing should not be underestimated; about 7% of all sport fishermen fish exclusively at sea, while 30% state that they occasionally fish at sea.

Particularly during the closed season, when fishing in inland waterways is prohibited, sport fishing at sea and in coastal waters can be acceptable alternatives.

An indication of the demand for marine fishing facilities can be derived from the above mentioned boat inquiry. In the provinces of North and South Holland and Zeeland approximately 650 persons proved to require facilities (particularly trailer ramps) for boat fishing at sea. The supply of opportunities to practise marine fishing from the shore is determined by the extent to which the beach, piers, breakwaters, moles and such-like are made accessible. The beach is only considered accessible in the immediate vicinity of the approaches or (unpaved) roads through the dunes, in view of the fact that marine fishermen have to carry relatively heavy fishing equipment. Table 8 shows the total coast length and the amount of coast length regarded as accessible per coastal province. Almost 30 percent of the total coast length can be considered accessible and most of this accessible coast is to be found in the province of Zeeland. It is not known in how far this accessible coast is suitable for fishing as regards depth, etc., but it is a fact that harbors, moles, piers and break-waters play a particularly important part in sport fishing at sea.

Table 8. The amount of accessible coast length, per province.

Table 9. Hired vessels for sea and coast fishing.

Boat fishing is practised from sport fishing vessels (hired vessels) and from fishing boats. It is unsafe to fish from unseaworthy fishing boats at sea and in coastal waters. Therefore, boat fishermen on these waters should use larger and faster vessels than on most inland waterways. Table 9 specifies from which provinces—if known—sports fishermen leave with hired vessels to fish at sea and in coastal waters.

Unmanned sport fishing boats are hired only incidentally for marine and coast fishery, so that fishermen are dependent on private boats and trailer ramps or private berths. Proper trailer ramps scarcely appear to exist; more often than not boat fishermen can only launch their boats from the beach. This is done in several places along the Dutch coast. As the circumstances for launching are often bad, boats, trailers or cars are often damaged. The situation with regard to the trailer ramps can be considered a constraint.

A specified survey of number of existing berths for fishing boats cannot be given at present. However, it is known that in the harbors along the Dutch coast a few hundred marine anglers have at their disposal permanent berths for their fishing boats. On the saltings and mudflats in Zeeland and on the tidal marshes in the north of the country lie many fishing boats whose owners do not have permanent berths at their disposal. In boat fishing at sea and in coastal waters the safety aspect is of very great importance. The existing marine angling societies accordingly make high demands on boats and boat equipment (radar reflector, walky talky, etc.) of their members. There are long waiting lists of candidate members who cannot be accepted due to the shortages of housing/launching facilities for boats. In general it can be stated that for boat fishing at sea it is important that, (a) the beach and the dikes have been made sufficiently accessible for boats to be taken to and from the water, and (b) there be simple parking facilities for cars and trailers, and berths for fishing boats in suitable places.

LITERATURE CITED

Blom, B. 1973 The use of the Dutch rivers and other inland waterways as fisheries on Janaury 1st, 1971. Documentatierapport No. 16, Fisheries Directorate, The Hague.

Bouquet, H.G.J. 1974 Fish stock management. Reprints from Visserij (Voorlichtingsblad voor de Nederlandse Visserij), Fisheries Directorate, The Hague.

Central Bureau of Statistics. In press Study of vacations and recreational activities of the Dutch population in 1975. Provisional results, publication being prepared.

Central Bureau of Statistics. In press Population of municipalities in the Netherlands on January 1st, 1977. Staatsuitgeverij, The Hague.

Katteler, H.A. and J.A. Kropman. 1977 Preference for intensive and extensive open air recreation. Institute for Applied Sociology, Nijmegen.

Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. 1972 Note on sportfishing; annex to the Memorandum accompanying the 1973 Government Budget. The Hague.

Ministry of Culture, 1977 Recreation and Social Work. Structural view on open air recreation. Staatsuitgeverij, The Hague.

Muyres, W.J.M. 1977 The use of fisheries created for sportfishing in Limburg. Documentatierapport No. 20, Fisheries Directorate, The Hague.

van Alderwegen, H.A. 1977 Calculation model for determining the current demand for fisheries in a region. Instituur voor Cultuur-techniek en Waterhuishouding, nota 931. Wageningen.

van Arkel, H.D.M. 1978 Fishing tested for efficiency. Visserij (Voorlichtingsblad voor de Nederlandse Visserij), 31:231–238.

van Haasteren, L.M., P.J. Bakker and A.T. de Groot. 1976 Designing and creating fisheries. Reprints from Visserij (Voorlichtingsblad voor de Nederlandse Visserij), Fisheries Directorate, The Hague.